Test the waters

Entering the Baishan District.

Most pedestrians wore simple and shabby clothes, with sallow complexions and emaciated bodies.

Although Songyi City was relatively stable, most commoners were not wealthy and could barely make ends meet.

Lin Zheyu wore clean robes, which seemed out of place here.

As evening approached, many people returned from work.

Lin Zheyu could see pedestrians in small groups, their gaze towards him somewhat strange.

"I've been observing this kid for a few days. His complexion is getting better and better. I'm afraid he's gained some benefits in the city."

Not far away, a thin man resembling a monkey said to his companion.

They were a group of four, sitting on roadside rocks, chatting and observing passersby.

"I know him. He's a refugee who arrived recently, an educated man, so he's allowed to work in the city."

"I heard this kid comes from a wealthy family in Jiunan City, but unfortunately, Jiunan City was occupied by rebel forces and turned into a refugee camp."

"What money can a refugee have? I checked the place he rented a few days ago, there was nothing. Everything was looted on the way here."

Another companion sneered.

They tended to be bold when dealing with individuals without companions, like this lone guy.

As long as no lives were lost, the authorities generally wouldn't investigate much.

And even if someone died, if there was no one to speak up for you, no one might ever know, and the death would go unnoticed.

"Hey, bad luck."

From afar, Lin Zheyu saw the four men and muttered to himself about their bad luck.

These guys were local ruffians and rogues, always idle, only engaged in petty theft and bullying the weak.

Lin Zheyu changed his path from afar, avoiding them.

His small frame couldn't withstand much trouble.

"Heh!"

"That kid seems guilty, avoiding us. Maybe he's got something good on him!"

Seeing this, the men's eyes lit up.

"Let's go check it out."

The biggest guy said.

His name was Gao Yu, towering at one meter eighty-three, twice the size of Lin Zheyu.

They particularly liked to bully cowardly guys like him who showed fear and had no one backing them up.

"Kid, stop right there! Why are you avoiding us?"

Gao Yu shouted to Lin Zheyu from a distance.

Lin Zheyu reluctantly stopped, couldn't he even avoid walking away?

"I've been watching you for the past few days. You seem to be doing better and better in the city. Maybe you've gained some benefits?"

Gao Yu smirked.

His eyes scanned Lin Zheyu up and down.

"It's not like that."

"You know how hard it is to find work these days. I was hoping to use the knowledge I've gained to make a living by telling stories in the city. But my skills are poor, and it's been very quiet."

Lin Zheyu smiled bitterly.

"Just you telling stories?"

"Hahaha!"

The men burst into laughter.

The skinny monkey continued to eye Lin Zheyu and then snatched the bag from his hand.

"Tsk tsk, looks like you've earned some money. You're even willing to buy meat."

The skinny monkey smirked.

The piece of meat wasn't big, just a small piece with some fat and lean meat.

"I've been feeling weak lately, so I bit the bullet and bought this small piece of meat. It's all I have left."

Lin Zheyu reached into his empty pocket.

After being robbed last time, he split his money into several parts and hid them in discreet places along the way.

Even if one place was discovered, there were still other places with silver.

The men looked at the thin Lin Zheyu and felt that he really didn't look like someone with money.

"Alright, you can go. Next time you see us, come over and say hello voluntarily, got it?"

Gao Yu waved his hand.

"Yes, got it."

Lin Zheyu said, not mentioning the meat.

In a situation where he had no relatives or companions, it would be pointless to suffer a beating.

"Phew..."

Lin Zheyu breathed a sigh of relief, swallowing the bitterness in his heart.

It's easy to meet the King of Hell, but dealing with little ghosts is troublesome.

In unfavorable situations, being sly is the best policy."I'll move tomorrow morning. The rent in the city is expensive, but the security is better than here."

Lin Zheyu pondered.

The order in the inner city was much better than in the outer city slums, with various factions and yamen constables maintaining order.

Those ruffians and rogues wouldn't dare to cause trouble there. If caught, they'd easily receive a severe beating.

Back home...

Lin Zheyu's stomach growled.

Tonight's meat and vegetables were stolen, so he could only drink porridge.

...

He asked the neighbor aunt for some pickles, and Lin Zheyu drank five large bowls of porridge in a row.

Now was the time to regain his strength and maintain adequate nutrition.

The next day, Lin Zheyu got up early.

He explained the situation to the landlord and left with a small package; he didn't have much to pack.

"Good morning, Manager Wu!"

Lin Zheyu arrived at the Bidan Teahouse.

It was quiet in the teahouse early in the morning.

"Why did you come so early today?" Wu Yinghe asked curiously.

"Well, I'm planning to move to a new place. The outer city is too chaotic, and living in the Baishan District is too uncomfortable."

Lin Zheyu pointed to the package and asked, "Manager Wu, do you have any recommendations?"

"The Baishan District is indeed not suitable for living."

Manager Wu nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "I know a few landlords, responsible for renting out houses. The prices are cheap."

"Then, could you please help me, Manager Wu?" Lin Zheyu smiled.

"No need to be polite between us."

Manager Wu smiled.

Lin Zheyu was now his patron.

He gave instructions and personally took Lin Zheyu to find a house.

With Manager Wu's help, Lin Zheyu found a quiet place, three streets away from the Hundred Flavors Street.

It was a small courtyard, five hundred coins a month, quite affordable.

If it was just a single room, it would be even cheaper, only two hundred coins.

The location of the small courtyard was relatively remote, with few households around.

But that's what he wanted.

In the future, he would definitely practice martial arts, and a secluded location would be perfect, without disturbing the neighbors.

Hundred Flavors Street.

Qingsu Restaurant, Manager Wu treated.

Qingsu Restaurant was a famous restaurant on Hundred Flavors Street, not only affordable but also delicious.

Originally, Lin Zheyu planned to treat Manager Wu as a token of gratitude, but Manager Wu insisted on treating him instead, so it ended up with him being the host.

"Does the young master plan to take the imperial examination in the future?" Manager Wu asked, looking at him closely.

This young master was the patron of the teahouse. The future prosperity of the teahouse depended on him.

If Lin Zheyu really planned to continue taking the imperial examination,then they wouldn't be able to have storytelling sessions at their teahouse.

"No."

"Given my current situation, it's not easy to obtain the recommendation and the qualification to take the imperial examination again."

"And besides, passing the imperial examination is too difficult."

Lin Zheyu shook his head.

After arriving at Songyi City, he had reissued a temporary identity card and registered a temporary household registration.

This kind of temporary household registration made it difficult to qualify for the imperial examination. It required finding a receiving clan, re-establishing one's academic status, or gaining recognition from influential figures.

"Hmm..."

Manager Wu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

"The story told by young sir is so fascinating. I believe it won't be long before you become a well-known storyteller in Songyi City," Manager Wu complimented.

"Thank you for your kind words!"

Lin Zheyu smiled.

As they chatted while eating, after filling their stomachs with a few bites of food, Lin Zheyu asked about the main matter.

"Manager Wu, do you know any masters who teach martial arts?"

"Young sir, are you planning to learn martial arts?" Manager Wu asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I want to learn some martial arts for self-defense."

"As you know, I'm alone in Songyi City, without any family to rely on, so I'm easily bullied by some scoundrels."

"I thought learning some martial arts would be helpful."

"Indeed."

Manager Wu nodded in agreement.

The legal system in this world was not as perfect as it was in his previous life, and the government's role was not strong. Many matters in the private sector were handled by the gentry and clans themselves.

Individuals like Lin Zheyu, who were alone without family support, often became targets for bullying.

"If you want to learn martial arts, I do know someone. You've met this person before," Manager Wu said with a smile.